Currently reading: 2015 LandWind X7 - Chinese Range Rover Evoque clone revealed
Despite Jaguar Land Rover's complaints, the Land Wind X7 is going on sale in China next month

The LandWind X7, a much-criticised clone of the Range Rover Evoque, has been revealed in its final production form and will go on sale in China next month.

The new model has been the subject of an intense legal dispute between Jaguar Land Rover and LandWind, with JLR claiming the X7 looks too similar to the Range Rover Evoque, which is already on sale in China.

However, JLR's complaints were dismissed by Chinese authorities earlier this year, leading JLR boss Ralf Speth to claim that car manufacturers were 'powerless' to stop Chinese companies ripping off their designs.

JUNE 2016 UPDATE - JLR BEGINS NEW LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

“China, from my point of view has enough creativity and engineering power to do something on their own and doesn’t have to fall back to the time when copying was of interest,” Speth said, according to Autocar India. However, Speth said there is nothing that manufacturers can do if they have their designs copied by Chinese car companies.

“We can’t do anything. I hope the Chinese customer at the end of the day sees the difference and selects the real product and not a copied one. We hope they generate a self-regulation process so that they can get rid of this kind of copy-paste way of working”, Speth added, pointing out that there is currently no law against the practice.

Range Rover Evoque vs LandWind X7 copycat - which is better? 

The row between LandWind and Land Rover broke out last November, when the covers came off the LandWind at the Guangzhou motor showAt the time of the LandWind X7's reveal, Speth confirmed to Autocar that he would complain to Chinese officials regarding what he considered to be Intellectual Property theft regarding the lookalike LandWind X7.

The LandWind X7 bears a striking resemblance to the Evoque, a locally produced version of which was also unveiled at the Guangzhou motor show in 2014. 

While the authentic local-market Evoque retails for the equivalent of £40,000, the LandWind X7 costs £14,000. The X7 is powered by a 188bhp 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine with 184lb ft of torque. It is offered with a choice of either a six-speed manual or eight-speed automatic gearbox.

"The fact that this kind of copying is ongoing in China is very disappointing," said Speth last year. "The simple principal is that it is not something that should happen; the Intellectual Property is owned by Jaguar Land Rover and if you break that IP then you are in breach of international regulations that apply around the world.

"As a company we have invested heavily in China with our joint venture partner Chery. That commitment is based on a clear business plan, that allows us to hit our sales targets at clear prices. Anything that damages the potential profitability of our plant damages the integrity of those plans.

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LandWind is a standalone Chinese car maker created as a joint venture between respected Chinese car makers Changan Auto and Jiangling Motors Corporation.

Changan Auto is regarded as one of the top four Chinese car makers, producing two million cars a year and working in other joint ventures with the likes of Ford, PSA Peugeot Citroen and Suzuki.

The firm previously made headlines for selling the LandWind CV9, a car that took clear design inspiration from the Vauxhall Frontera and was briefly sold in Europe, until poor Euro NCAP crash tests forced its withdrawal from sale.

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rdsreference 4 June 2016

Sorry

Do feel sorry for the manufacturers?. No really they think they can do whatever they want,they maybe powerless is China but not elsewhere.Car manufacturers are not nice people.There's been numerous Chinese copies over the years this is yet another one . Fair? Definitely not. Deserved? Definitely yes. I have no sympathy.
rdsreference 4 June 2016

rdsreference wrote: Do feel

rdsreference wrote:

Do feel sorry for the manufacturers?. Not really. They think they can do whatever they want,they maybe powerless in China but not elsewhere.Car manufacturers are not nice people.There's been numerous Chinese copies over the years this is yet another one . Fair? Definitely not. Deserved? Definitely yes. I have no sympathy.

rdsreference 4 June 2016

rdsreference wrote:

rdsreference wrote:
rdsreference wrote:

Do i feel sorry for the manufacturers?. Not really. They think they can do whatever they want,they maybe powerless in China but not elsewhere.Car manufacturers are not nice people.There's been numerous Chinese copies over the years this is yet another one . Fair? Definitely not. Deserved? Definitely yes. I have no sympathy.

TBC 25 July 2015

Issue

I would have thought the biggest issue for LR in China, with regards to the LandWind, is the number of people who will drive past a LandWind X7 broken down by the side of the road and mistaking it for the real thing, thus damaging LR's reputation. No right minded Chinese yuppie would be seen dead in the X7.
Leslie Brook 27 July 2015

TBC wrote: I would have

TBC wrote:

I would have thought the biggest issue for LR in China, with regards to the LandWind, is the number of people who will drive past a LandWind X7 broken down by the side of the road and mistaking it for the real thing, thus damaging LR's reputation.

I doubt anything could damage Land Rover's already terrible reputation for reliability. Let's hope that is the one attribute they didn't copy.

The Apprentice 24 July 2015

Be great if they bought it

Be great if they bought it here, its already probably quicker but a light remap and it would be a hoot at the lights leaving those 'Range Rovers' in its dust. I would even put a big graphic across the rear screen.. 'The car in front is £14k!' - heck I would probably buy several in different colours to match my socks.